Education Issues
by Radioactive Nerd
Summary: Season 4 episode 2. After Verne begins to struggle in school, Doc and Clara soon learn that their youngest son has a learning disability.


Author's Note: In this episode story, Verne is diagnosed with a learning disability. This episode takes a more serious toll than all the previous ones so I would appreciate reviews.

Disclaimer: Do you have any idea how dangerous it would be for me to claim the rights to the movies or cartoon?

Hill Valley, California

September 10, 1992

2:58 PM

It was almost 3:00 and Verne Newton Brown was trying to complete the math worksheet that Miss Stine had handed out. Verne hated math with every fiber of his being. In fifth grade they were supposed to learn all this new math junk to prepare them for doing algebra in later grades.

The ten-year-old stared at the multiplication problem before him:

12

x8

Verne had been taught his times tables last year but they kept disappearing from his memory. He could remember the two's table and the five's table but that was it. Verne continued to stare at the problem, hoping that the answer would just come to him.

It didn't. He could not figure it out and he just did what he did when he was tired of racking his brain for the answers. Verne took his pencil and angrily crossed out the problem. It made him feel a little better like he had slaughtered the numbers.

"Okay kiddies time to hand those in!" Miss Stine said cheerily. The other kids hurried over to the teacher's desk and put their completed worksheets on it. Verne was the last to hand in his and just slammed it down on the desk, glad to be rid of it. He then grabbed his belongings from the cubby and headed out of the classroom.

_Man this stuff is getting harder and harder._ Verne complained.

Miss Stine remained in the empty classroom and searched the worksheets. She came to Verne Brown's worksheet and looked at it for awhile. Lately, this student had taken to not doing his mathematics and Miss Stine had no choice but to grade him down. Miss Stine marked Verne's paper with an "F."

The 24 hour scientific services van pulled up in front of the elementary school just as Verne exited the building. Jules was already half way to the vehicle and Verne soon caught up with his older brother. They both high fived like they always did after school and jumped into the van. Their mother Clara Clayton Brown was already in the back seat of the van telling her husband about her day.

"Then we had to pause the spelling lesson because little Mia had an accident," Clara recapped and put her purse on the floor. "Hello Verne how was your day?"

"Fine," Verne answered.

"And yours Jules?" Doc asked.

"Fantastic father," Jules informed with a smile. "I solved an incredibly difficult equation correctly."

"That's my boy," Doc said and patted his eldest child on the shoulder.

Verne kicked Jules' seat hard.

Doc, Clara, and Jules looked back at Verne with perplexed expressions. Verne just slumped in his seat and turned to look out the window.

Later in the evening, Verne was completing his homework. He usually had a system for homework. First he'd do history, then English, then science, and finally the dreaded math. Verne breezed through the history, English, and science and then found himself at the mercy of the numbers.

Miss Stine had assigned them to practice their long division. During the first week of school, they had jumped into long division and Verne had been completely dazed. He would hear a new piece of information and it would take so long for him to completely understand it, that the class would move onto another piece of information. It was like he was in a race track with a car that could only go to 70 miles while the other cars were going 90.

Verne stared at the workbook before him with the long division problems in it. He looked at the problems and the numbers swam before his eyes and made them hurt. He decided to read the directions again and turned the pages back.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Verne cried under his breath. The directions were printed neatly in the workbook but the ten-year-old still didn't get it. The difficult terms baffled him and the examples baffled him. Verne felt his ears grow hot with frustration and anger. He got so upset that he tossed the workbook across the room. It hit the wall and fell limply to the floor. Verne looked at it and felt himself grow more upset with himself.

_Why am I so stupid? _Verne thought and bit his tongue to keep from crying. He didn' like to cry even if he was in great emotional or physical pain.

Suddenly there was a knock on the bedroom door and Verne looked up from his desk.

"Brother why did you throw something at my wall?" Jules' voice asked.

"No reason just go away!" Verne called and got up from the desk. He heard his brother just walk away from the door and was grateful Jules hadn't come in. Verne sat down on his comfy bed and removed his coon skin cap for a second.

_I will never understand this junk. Never ever ever. _Verne thought bitterly. 

Verne started feeling drowsy and lied his head down on the pillow. He closed his eyes and started drifting into a deep sleep. Doing homework had always tuckered him out...

The ten-year-old found himself in a jungle entirely made out of binary code and numbers. The tall trees were made out of digits and the snakey vines were multiplication problems. Verne was running for his life from something and was all out of sorts. He turned at 01010100 tree and fell onto the ground with a splat. Verne tried to get up but found himself stuck in quicksand! The quicksand was made out of equations like from Jules' homework. The frightened boy could feel the numbers tugging his ankles and sank deeper and deeper. With one final tug Verne was pulled under and couldn't scream.

Verne bolted upright from his bed and tried to catch his breath. He glanced around the room and realized it was late at night and the number jungle was just a horrible dream. He put a hand to his face and realized that he was sweating up a storm.

His bedroom was pitch black and Verne felt a slightly creeped out feeling wash over him. Verne wasn't usually afraid of the dark but after a nightmare like that, who wouldn't be. Verne swallowed and knew what to do.

Verne left his bedroom and went across the hallway. His parents bedroom was silent which probably meant that his mom and dad were asleep. The boy opened the door quietly and went over to his father's side of the bed.

"Dad, Dad?" Verne whispered as he shook his father. Doc made an incoherent sound as he awakened. He looked to and fro then noticed his youngest son standing there in the dark.

"Verny? What are you doing up it's past midnight," Doc said softly, so as not to wake Clara. "Is something wrong?"

"I uh... had a bad dream," Verne explained and akwardly shuffled his feet.

"All right," Doc said and lifted up the covers. "Hop in."

Verne did and his father held him like he always did when Verne had a bad dream. The ten-year-old brought himself closer to his father and buried his face in Doc's chest. Doc put his arms around Verne and stroked the boy's hair.

"Do you wish to tell me about the dream?" Doc asked.

Verne shook his head "no."

Hill Valley, California

September 11, 1992

2:44 PM

Verne was sitting at his desk as Miss Stine passed out math tests. All week they had been doing pracise worksheets in preparation for this test but Verne still didn't understand a thing. Miss Stine came to his row and put a test paper on the boy's desk.

The ten-year-old stared down at his test and wondered what he was going to do. He must right down something since he had done nothing all week. Verne skimmed the test and his brain started hurting when he read all the directions. It just didn't make sense.

_I can probably guess for all the questions. _Verne thought and chewed on his pencil. _Yeah that will work. _

For the rest of the math time, Verne wrote down numbers that he just guessed. Most of them were the number ten. Then Miss Stine stood up and clapped her hands which meant the test was over. She started going along the desks and gathering kid's completed test papers. Miss Stine came to Verne's desk and took his paper.

"You all may free read while I grade these," Miss Stine said and sat down at her desk. Verne took out his favorite Western Willy comic and began reading the adventures of the young cowboy. Occasionally the boy looked up at his teacher, whom was grading the papers in record speed. Miss Stine was a fast lady.

By the time she finsished, it was time to go. All the students got their stuff and Miss Stine handed them their tests as they left the classroom. Verne got his back and left the room before Miss Stine had a chance to talk to him.

Verne hurried down the hall and into the boys' bathroom. There he would have some privacy to see his grade. Most of the other kids always shared how well they did and Verne didn't really want to share this time. He locked himself in a stall and unfolded the test paper to see:

A big fat "F".

"Oh no," Verne moaned and put his head in his hands. He became even more dismayed when he saw the teacher's note that the test paper had to be _signed _by a parent or guardian.

The dismayed ten-year-old left the bathroom and headed out of the school. When he got onto the front yard, he saw his father's van already parked. Quickly, Verne stashed the failed test into his backpack and trudged over to the van.

Whatever happened Verne could not show this test to anyone.

The minute the scientific services van pulled into the driveway Verne jumped out and dashed into the house. He ran up to his room and locked the door behind him. This was actually the second time he did this in his entire life in the farm house. The first time had been when Verne broke his mother's favorite vase and was hiding. The boy went over to his desk and retrieved the test paper from his backpack.

Verne smoothes out the crumpled paper and took out a nice pen. He had decided during the drive home that he had to commit forgery. It was the only sure way to make sure neither of his parents would not find out about him failing. Verne took out a birthday card Doc had given him and looked at the cursive signiture. His father wrote his name like with a big florish. Verne studied it and, with his best hand, carefully copied it onto the top of the test.

The forged signiture actually came out good but Verne didn't feel proud. Truthfully, he felt guilty. Was this something he was going to have to do for the rest of the school year?

"Verny time to travel downstairs for evening nourishment!" Doc called.

Verne nervously stashed the test into his backpack and hurried down to eat. He could smell his mother's famous fried chicken as he came into the kitchen and suddenly realized how hungry he was. Jules was already sitting at the table with a book and Doc and Clara were chatting as they set food down on the table.

Doc and Clara were discussing what they were going to do to leak-proof the lab for winter and Jules was absorbed in his book but paused to bite his drumstick. The family seemed to be in their usual dinner manner but Verne was anything but mellow. He felt very jittery and couldn't even hold his drumstick steady.

_They're gonna find out what I did. _Verne thought. _I'm busted, I'm busted, I'm busted, I'm busted-_

"Verne how was school today?" one of his parent's asked.

"STOP ASKING THAT EVERYTHING'S FINE!" Verne yelled at the top of his lungs. Doc and Clara flinched with obvious surprise at their youngest son's unexpected outburst. Jules even dropped his book and food. Verne immediatly got up from the table and ran back up to his room.

Doc, Clara, and Jules sat at the table still in shock.

"Clara Verne is starting to worry me," Doc said and shared an intense look with her husband.

Hill Valley, California

September 12, 1992

12:39 PM

Doc was desperately trying to find out the problem with Mr. Levins' stove. The man had called Doc complaning that his stove would not turn on and that he needed the scientist to come over right away. It was one of those afternoon silly jobs that Doc often found people calling his scientific services for. Mr. Levin wasn't going to pay him much but getting a little money for lunch seemed worth it.

Suddenly Doc's portable phone rang and he picked it off his belt and pressed the button to hear who was calling.

"Greetings! This is Doctor E. Brown Enterprises: 24 hour scientific services," Doc said proudly. "How may I assist you?"

"Doctor Brown this is the Principal Williams of your sons' elementary school," the principal said. "I called to inform you that your son Verne has skipped school."

"Excuse me?" Doc said, his voice clearly registering the surpise he was feeling. "Verny skip school? I drove him there myself!"

"Well he must have run off instead of entering the building," Principal Williams suggested. "I think you should have a good stern talk with your boy Doctor Brown."

"Yes, yes, I will handle it," Doc said and then pressed the end button on the phone. He stood up and started gathering his tools.

Verne may be a little mischevous and a magnet for trouble but skipping school? That just wasn't like the boy. Something must be seriously wrong to drive Verne to commiting truancy.

"Brown! Where are you going?" Mr. Levin called as the scientist boarded his van and was in the process of backing out of the driveway. "You haven't finished my stove."

"I am sorry Mr. Levin but a very serious matter just obtained my attention and I must deal with it," Doc stated and drove away from the Levin household.

Mr. Levin watched the white van disappear down the street and scowled deeply.

Doc arrived and ran into the lab at full speed. He was thinking that Verne had taken the DeLorean and run away through time for the upteenth time. He noticed that the first time machine was still there and in one piece. The scientist hurried over to it and pulled open the door.

Verne was sitting there in the driver's seat. The boy's face was streaked with tears and his eyes were puffy. Doc had been a little angry at his son but all that melted to concern when he saw the state Verne was in.

"Verney..." Doc began lost for words.

"Fractions," Verne said. "I skipped because of fractions."

With that, the boy threw himself into his father's arms. Verne felt his father hug him tightly and started crying.

0 0 0

"Why Doctor and Mrs. Brown what brings you here?" cheery Miss Stine asked.

Doc and Clara were now sitting in front of Miss Stine's desk in order to talk to her about Verne. Luckily, Miss Stine was still in her classroom afterschool.

"Well Louise we are very concerned over our son Verne," Clara said and Doc nodded.

"Yes he has been acting quite peculiar," Doc began. "Verne has been secretive about his schoolwork and hasn't talked much. Last night he had an outburst that was completely unlike him. Clara and I just thought he was under the stresses of fifth grade but what he did today was... completely odd. We just want to know what is going on with our little boy."

"Well your son Verne is struggling terribly with his math," Miss Stine said. "He either hands in worksheets with nothing on them or hands them in with way wrong answers. I'm afraid Verne is on the brink of failing."

"Why weren't Emmett and I notified?" Clara asked. Her face was a mask of deep parental concern.

"Well I gave Verne his failed test to be signed," Miss Stine said. Clara realized that their son truely was hiding how he was doing in school.

"May I see some of Verne's work?" Doc asked and Miss Stine dug out a portfolio with Verne's name on it. Doc opened the folder and began shifting through the math worksheets and tests.

The scientist saw that most of Verne's math worksheets were those of a frustrated child. The math worksheets either were completely blank or the questions were scribbled out furiously. Verne's graded math tests held way wrong answers that Doc could tell were randomly guessed. Of course Doc could tell that his youngest son wasn't just being lazy. Verne's work was evidence that this child was struggling and needed assistence right away.

Doc looked up from the papers and back at his wife, whom was still talking to Miss Stine.

"Is everything all right at home?" Miss Stine suddenly asked. Clara gave her a sort of annoyed look before answering.

"Everything is fine," Clara said crisply and with that she and her husband left the classroom.

Night was beginning to fall as Doc and Clara were driving home. They were both kind of speechless about the discovery about Verne's struggling. It wasn't like they were angry that their youngest child wasn't a genius like his father or brother. Doc and Clara both knew that Jules and Verne worked at their own paces and learned in different ways. However Verne was definitely their current state of concern.

"We must think of a way to help him," Doc said after minutes of silence. "He can't struggle for the rest of fifth grade and expect to go to sixth grade."

"I wonder why Verne didn't just tell us he was having trouble," Clara vented. "Maybe he was afraid of being punished."

"Or maybe he was ashamed," Doc said and he and Clara shared a long look. They seemed to be contemplating this. There was a little more silence before one of the parents spoke up.

"Remember Doctor Lawrence?" Clara said and Doc nodded. "I made friends with him when I volunteered at the hospital and he could test Verne."

"What do you mean test him?" Doc asked.

"Doctor Lawrence can test him for a possible learning disability," Clara said as they reached their house.

The two went upstairs and into Verne's room. Verne was already asleep with his game boy still in his hands. Clara leaned down and kissed her son good night and Doc drapped a blanket over the boy. Then they went back downstairs to call Doctor Lawrence.

Hill Valley, California

September 12, 1992

11:03 AM

"Pop what are we doing in the hospital?" Verne asked as his father led them through the squeaky-clean hallways. "I'm not sick."

"I know but that's not why we are here," Doc said as they came to a door. Verne looked up at the sign attatched to it and read the words silently.

DR. ALFRED LAWRENCE, HEAD DOCTOR OF CHILD PYSCHOLOGY

Verne repeated the words again in his mind as his father opened the door and ushered Verne in.

The waiting room outside Doctor Lawrence's personal office was painted yellow and sort of resembled a kid's bedroom. There were toy planes hanging from the ceiling and even a fake little bed in the corner. On the floor and scattered about were a number of toys that either were new or dated back to the 1970's. There weren't any other parents or kids in the waiting room so Doc and Verne had it to themselves.

"Do you want to play that boxing robotic game?" Doc asked gesturing to the rock em' sock em' robots. Verne was still a little confused as to the purpose of this visit but he agreed anyway. They ended up playing three rounds (Doc winning all of them since Verne was really paying attention) until Doctor Lawrence actually came out of his office.

"Verne Brown?" the Doctor asked as he opened his door. Verne gave one last confused look at his father before following the doctor into the office.

Doctor Lawrence's office was a bit more mature than the waiting room. Except for the fact that the desk was very low to the ground and was between two bean bag chairs. Verne sat in the purple bean bag and Doctor Lawrence sat across from him.

"So Verne are you having trouble with math in school," Doctor Lawrence asked.

"No," Verne answered all too quickly.

"It's all right," the Doctor said. "I'm here to help you not yell at you. Now, the only way I can help you is to have you complete this test-"

"Oh no not another math test!" Verne said and the Doctor easily held back a laugh. He handed Verne a pencil and put a small paper booklet on the desk.

_I hope I'm not gonna be graded. _Verne thought and started on the booklet.

0 0 0

Doc had been waiting quite anxiously for his son to get out of the office. It seemed like every minute lasted an hour and every hour lasted a century. Time was truely moving slow. After what seemed like forever, Doctor Lawrence and Verne came out of the office.

"What were the results?" Doc asked.

"I analyized the test and saw that your son has all the symptoms of a disability in mathmatics," Doctor Lawrence said. "A disability known as dyscalculia."

"Dyscalculia," Doc repeated and seemed to be searching his mind for any knowledge on the dissability. "Thank you Doctor Lawrence for your time."

Doc and Verne left the waiting room and traveled out of the hospital. They didn't really talk much until they got in the van. Verne was kind of slumped and seemed a little upset.

"I'm sorry dad," Verne suddenly said quietly.

"Why are you sorry?" Doc asked, bewildered.

"I'm sorry that I'm not a genius like you and Jules," Verne said and felt tears drip down his cheeks. Doc looked at his son, absolutely astonished that his youngest son thought that he had to apologize for his dissability.

"Verne Newton Brown _do not _think that," Doc said seriously. "Having a learning dissability does not mean you are unintelligent or mean that I don't love anymore. Actually you are a very smart child."

"Really?" Verne asked and sniffed. No one had really called him smart before. It was always Jules who was being called smart.

"Really," Doc said and smiled. "And you know what? Alot of brilliant people had learning dissabilities also. Albert Einstein, Mozart, Galileo, and even the Wright Brothers. Thomas Edison even was expelled from school because he asked too many questions!"

Verne laughed at that.

"Wow I didn't know that," Verne said as they pulled into the driveway. He was beginning to feel alot better. "But now what am I going to do?"

"Well your mother and I will inform your teacher," Doc said. "She'll break down a new lesson for you and i'll help you with homework and studying for tests."

"Okay," Verne said and jumped out of the van.

In the afternoon light, Verne could see his mother and brother sitting on the porch. They seemed to be playing cards and were waiting for them. Verne ran to them with a smile on his face and kind of spooked them when he was suddenly standing in front of them. Doc got to the porch and told his wife the news.

"Oh honey," Clara said and pulled Verne into a hug. "I'll make you some cookies."

Verne looked at his father and they shared a secret smile. The boy then gently wiggled out of his mother's hug and stood up straight and confident.

"It's okay mom," Verne said with another smile. "I have dyscalculia and I'm proud!"


End file.
